Thousands Rode on Bike to Work Day

Thousands of East Bay residents pedaled to work on May 11 to celebrate the 23rd annual Bay Area Bike to Work Day. Morning counts across the East Bay tallied 20,732 people rolling by Energizer Stations and participation has increased 30 percent over the past five years.

Bike to Work Day encouraged local residents to try commuting by bicycle for the first time and celebrated those who ride regularly. Local students and teachers joined in the fun with 133 schools hosting festivities on Thursday and throughout National Bike Month in May.

“Bike to Work Day gets more people on bikes,” explains Renee Rivera, executive director of Bike East Bay. “People find out how fun and easy it is to bike around town and Bike East Bay keeps the momentum going by advocating for safe and well-connected bike lanes so that you can feel confident riding in the city all year-round.”

A 2011 survey of Alameda County residents showed that nearly one in three people who participated in Bike to Work Day said they rode more frequently after the event. People on bikes rolled by 147 Energizer Stations located next to popular bike commute routes, along regional trails, at BART and other transit stations and in downtown areas around the East Bay. Hundreds of volunteers cheered them on by giving away coffee, snacks and free Bike to Work Day bags.

With bicycling continuing to grow in popularity, Bike East Bay added 27 new Energizer Stations this year to encourage even more people to try a fun and healthy way to get around town.

Bike to Work Day is made possible by MTC (the transportation planning, financing and coordinating agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area), 511 (the region’s traveler information system) and Kaiser Permanente. In addition, Bike to Work Day in the East Bay receives support from the Alameda County Transportation Commission, the City of Berkeley and the City of Oakland.

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